Starting Beekeeping – 11 things you need to know

Interested in starting beekeeping? Find out how to start beekeeping here!

Keeping a hive of honeybees at the end of the garden might sound like a lovely, relaxing, wholesome experience. Perhaps you’re dreaming about bees buzzing around the garden collecting nectar all summer long, and then getting a few pots of sweet honey at the end of the year. Sounds wonderful, right?

Well, beekeeping isn’t really like that.

It is true that bees happily buzz around the garden collecting nectar all summer long. And if you’re lucky you might get a few pots of honey for their trouble. But there’s a lot more to beekeeping than that.

There’s swarming. There are time commitments, heaps of new things to learn and skills to master. And if that wasn’t enough, there are thousands upon thousands of little insects who know perfectly well what they’re doing while you’re still trying to figure it out!

Until you have learned the tricks of the trade, beekeeping can be a bit daunting. However, once you’ve got the hang of it, it is one of the most rewarding hobbies you could have. To make it easier for you to get on your way to starting beekeeping, I have compiled a list of 11 things you need to know or do before you get bees.

Don’t order your bees until you have finished reading this!

1. Do a beginner’s course

Before getting bees, you should do a beginner’s course. The best courses to do have both theoretical and practical elements. However, if you can only find a theoretical one, let’s say online or over zoom, then do it, but make sure to get a mentor to show you the ropes for the first year. Beginners’ courses will typically cover everything you need to know to get you started. From the lifecycle of bees to the different castes, what they look like and what they do. It will cover equipment, swarming, disease and forage. How to do inspections, what to look for, what to do and what not to do.

There is so much to learn about bees that it can sometimes seem overwhelming. But don’t worry! Most of it you don’t need to know in the first few years. In fact, you could become quite a proficient beekeeper without knowing most of it. What is important is that you familiarize yourself with the basics and learn how to handle your bees. If you do that when you are starting beekeeping and remain open to learning and adapting, the rest will come if and when you need it.

2. Beekeeping takes a lot of time and commitment

Bees are livestock and as such will need monitoring and looking after. During the active season April-September, you should do inspections every week or two weeks. You cannot afford to skip inspections. If you do your bees could end up swarming. Apart from inspecting your colonies, you will need time to prepare equipment, read a lot, attend lectures or demonstrations, and, if you’re lucky, harvest honey.

If you feel that this time commitment is too onerous, but still want to try your hand at beekeeping, you could team up with someone else who is in a similar position and share the workload and commitment. You can also see if you can find another beekeeper who might need some help. In that way you can test the waters first without fully committing.

3. Beekeeping can be an expensive hobby

If you’re looking for cheap jars of honey, forget it! You’d be better off buying a year’s supply from your local beekeeper. If you get bees, you will eventually get honey. It will probably be the nicest honey you have ever tasted. But also, the most expensive. If you get into beekeeping for the love and fascination of bees, you will have a great time no matter how much honey you get.

When starting beekeeping there are lots of initial outlays. You will need equipment such as bee suit, smoker and hive tool. You will need hives to put your bees into and hive stands to put them on. And then you need bees. You could easily spend €600 – €900 getting ready for your first season. (Do not be tempted to save money by buying second-hand equipment. There is a risk of spread of disease which could be detrimental to your bees. You can opt to do this later on once you have learned all you need to know about honeybee diseases and can make an informed decision.)

For all your beekeeping needs, here is a complete and up to date directory of Irish Beekeeping suppliers and manufacturers to get you set up.

4. Get a mentor and/or join an association

Many local Beekeeper’s Associations and clubs organise their own beginner’s courses. Some also have Association apiaries, where you can go to learn how to handle bees and see experienced beekeepers working with bees. This is a great resource, and I would urge any aspiring beekeeper to join their local club or association.

Some clubs also run a mentorship programme where novices can team up with seasoned beekeepers for their first year or so. Jump on any chance at getting a mentor. You will need to call on them to give you advice and help numerous times in your first season. If your association do not provide this service, enquire among beekeepers close to you if anyone would be willing to help you out. In turn you can offer to give them a hand in their apiaries with manual work, lifting, clearing, putting together frames etc.

In Ireland, there are lots of local beekeeping associations and groups. Some may be affiliated to one of the National Beekeepers’ Organisations. You can find most local groups on one of these two sites:

Find a Beekeepers’ Association Near You – The Federation of Irish Beekeepers Associations clg FIBKA (irishbeekeeping.ie)

Affiliated Clubs – The IBA clg (irishbeekeepers.ie)

5. Learn about bee stings

‘Do you ever get stung?’ must be one of the most frequently asked questions we beekeepers get. The answer is of course yes. Although it is never pleasant, for most beekeepers, it’s not a big deal. You get used to it, and besides there is very good protective clothing which narrows the chances of getting stung considerably. Read more about how to choose your first bee suit in Bee suit – a buying guide

Having said all that, it would be unwise to consider starting beekeeping if you are allergic to beestings. Or if you are very afraid of getting stung. Even if you are not allergic to or apprehensive about beestings, it is important that you have informed yourself sufficiently on the topic before getting bees. Many beginners’ courses skim over this bit, and some online beekeeping fora don’t allow discussions about beestings or allergies. I think it is better to be open about it, so if you want to know more about it, please follow this link: Bee stings, reactions and immunity – a beginner’s guide

6. Get the right bees for your location

New beekeepers are often in a hurry to get bees when they are starting beekeeping. So much so that they do not want to wait for their bees, especially if they take months to arrive. Some are so eager that they jump at the first possibility of getting bees.

I know, I have been there myself. In the beginning, I would literally take whatever was offered to me, I was so keen just to get bees. However, it is phenomenally important that you take your time and make sure that the bees you are getting are the bees you should be getting. Let me elaborate.

In Ireland, and in some other places throughout Europe, we have a native bee Apis Mellifera mellifera. The European black bee, or as we like to call it here, the Native Irish honeybee. There are other types of honeybees that are native to other regions of the world. And also some that are hybrids between two or more bee types or subspecies either because of natural hybridisation or breeding programmes. Each bee has their own characteristics either because of natural selection or breeding.

Native bee and conservation areas

Ireland is somewhat unique in that we still have a large population of our native bee being kept by beekeepers. In many other countries, non-native or hybrid bees are commonplace. The native Irish Honeybee has evolved to suit our climate and conditions. However, due to importation, we now not only have our native bee, but also other types of honeybees such as Carnica and Buckfast for example

Different types of honeybees can mate with each other. Hence, if more than one type of bee is kept in an area, it will inevitably lead to the genes mixing, resulting in following generations becoming a hybridized bee. From the viewpoint of the many local groups involved in maintaining the line of the Native Irish Honeybee, this is bad news. Just one colony of ‘foreign’ bees can ruin years of careful conservation work. Also worth noting is that sometimes bees that are a result of mixing can be more tetchy and therefore more difficult to handle than ‘pure-bred’ bees. When getting bees, please be mindful of this, and seek to acquire your bees locally. Ask local beekeepers or your club to help you and enquire about any conservation areas etc. so that you can support their work. Read more about the Irish Honey bee and conservation areas by visiting NIHBS The Native Irish Honey Bee Society.

7. Set up an apiary

To keep bees, you need an apiary. And although bees can successfully be kept in the back garden, it is often best if they are placed away from people and houses to begin with. This is until you have learned to handle your bees and manage swarming so as to not upset your neighbours. Also, you will be calmer if you are not worried about what will happen if your bees swarm or someone gets stung.

Bees prefer a sunny open space, free of overhanging branches and away from frost pockets. Hive stands should be set up so that you have good access to work the bees from the back. Be mindful that these honey supers weigh quite a bit when full so good vehicular access is important. If the apiary is set up close to other livestock, make sure that the apiary is fenced off. Also, set up hive entrances facing away from public pathways as it can get very, very busy in the summer.

One thing you probably never thought you would ever concern yourself with is bee poo. Yup. Bee. Poo. Bees are very clean creatures and like to keep a tidy house. When nature calls, they leave the hive to relieve themselves. They’re not too bothered if their flightpath is right over your neighbour’s washing line or your significant other’s brand spanking new car. When they’ve got to go, they’ve got to go. So please spare yourself the embarrassment of having to apologise for your little darlings’ natural urges and face those hive entrances into a nice green area. Away from people, washing lines and fancy cars!

8. There is more than one way to keep bees

There is a popular saying that goes ‘Ask two beekeepers a question and you will get three different answers.’ We seem to do this innately. It is not at all done to confound or confuse novices. There are just so many different ways something can be done in beekeeping. What is right for one won’t work for another, and this is probably more down to the individual beekeepers than their bees.

In figuring out what works for you, you will take a few wrong turns and diversions that will set you back. But don’t worry. It is all a part of your learning curve. Don’t be afraid to do things differently, to experiment and make your own decisions. You might try a few different types of hives or techniques before you find something that feels right for you. When first starting beekeeping, ask lots of questions from a lot of different people. Listen to what they have to say but carefully consider whose advice you take. Make sure that the advice is geared towards solving your particular question. If in doubt, provide as much detail as possible and then ask: what would you do if you were in my situation? And then once they have given their answer, ask: why?

Read as much as you can but be aware that much of the English language beekeeping material may not be relevant to our climate, our bees, hives, forage etc. For instance, you will see beekeepers in Canada and US wrapping their hives in black plastic in the winter to protect from cold and snow. This is not something that should be done here in our relatively warm but very damp climate in winter.

9. Look at bees as often as you can

Team up with other novices and go through your hives together. Go to demonstrations, sign up for courses and help out in association apiaries. Offer your services to other beekeepers who might need a hand with lifting etc or to any other novices starting beekeeping. Any excuse at all to be near bees and other beekeepers. It will speed up your learning, you will see how other people do their beekeeping and it will get you more confident at handling bees quicker.

10. Be realistic

This might sound ridiculous, but your most important job as a beginner is to keep your bees alive. Don’t expect too much from yourself or your bees in the first few seasons after starting beekeeping. Also, it’s important to note that many beekeepers loose colonies, especially in their first few winters. Many seasoned beekeepers also loose colonies. This is completely normal. It is important, however, not to let this discourage you. Novice beekeepers are often encouraged to have at least two colonies going into their first winter. If one does not make it, there’s still one there to keep you going. But if your one and only colony dies, it can be so discouraging that you bow out of beekeeping altogether.

11. Warning! Beekeeping is extremely addictive…

It is likely to turn from a hobby to an obsession within a matter of months. You’ll think about bees all the time. Even dream about them. You will see them everywhere and talk about them frantically to anyone who will listen. You’ll stop at the side of the road collecting smoker fuel or just to watch a bee working a flower. But it’s ok. People around you will get used to it eventually, and you will learn to tone it down a bit. And when it gets too much, there is always a local beekeeping group just around the corner with people who are just like you…

Being a beginner beekeeper is a whirlwind of new experiences and thoughts. It is like a whole new world opening up in front of your eyes. Beekeeping can be tough at times. In those moments, just remember it takes time to learn to master new skills. Once you have decided to take the plunge, you’re in for an amazing adventure! I hope that I have helped make your decision whether or not beekeeping is for you.

If you have decided starting beekeeping is for you, welcome to the clan and happy beekeeping! /Hanna

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